


Pictures on the Wall

by sevsgirl72



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2008-07-14
Updated: 2008-07-14
Packaged: 2017-10-25 16:59:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/272637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevsgirl72/pseuds/sevsgirl72
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gideon takes Hotch up to his cabin, and light is shed on the private lives of the profilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pictures on the Wall

**Author's Note:**

> Written sometime during season 2 and is a WIP

They had been working in a harmonic silence for a long while before Gideon had broken it as he measured a piece of wood.

“You know if you left now you’d be home before dinner. You never know when you’ll get another day off like this.”

Hotch gave a noncommittal sigh, looking up from a plank he’d been placing.

“There’d be no one at home.”

Gideon’s brow furrowed at his friend. “She gave you papers then?”

He didn’t answer but stood to look into the forest surrounding them, his voice sounding distant.

“It’s better here than an empty house. I was going crazy just going from the office to a dark house. The silence I can handle, but the emptiness…” He trailed off turning away from the trees and smiled sadly at Gideon.

“You know maybe I should be like you and buy a hideout here for myself. I saw a cabin just down the road for sale. Or would that be a bit much.”

“I get enough of your scowling at work, Hotch.” Gideon laughed, but sobered quickly. “It’s good that you’re here then, but are you sure that you don’t want to get back though, maybe try and work through it?”

“Jason, there’s no way you’d be able to build a deck by yourself, no matter how great you think you are.” Hotch dodged the question, he didn’t want to talk about this. Didn’t want Gideon to see through any lie he told. Didn’t want to have to explain to him that he didn’t want to try and get her back because he didn’t want a woman anymore, or ever again. Not that he wanted a man either, but the far from friendly thoughts he’d been having about his male co-workers lately was trying to telling him otherwise. With an almost pleading look in his eyes to drop it he continued “I told you I need this. I don’t want to have to think about signing papers and fighting over who gets parental rights."

Gideon nodded in understanding, remembering what those times had been like, and turned his attention back to the wood in his hand. The younger man took a moment to watch his friend. Observing the preciseness and the elegance in which Gideon worked. Hotch knew the look well, it was the same as when he’d watch the man working out a criminals mind. He couldn’t help but find it alluring, mesmerizing, and even sexy. Hotch jerked himself out of the unwanted thought. He had no idea where it had come from and didn’t want to. Jason was well… _Jason_ ; it just wasn’t right. He was his friend, even his conscience at times. So he quickly went back to work, making himself forget that the thought had even crossed his mind.

***

The hours flew by as they worked, not many more words spoken between them, except the few that had to do with building. It shocked Hotch, when Gideon’s voice cut through his own thoughts with the decision that it was time to quit; he hadn’t noticed how dark it was getting.

“Come on Hotch, lets get inside and I’ll make us some dinner.”

The word dinner coming from Gideon brought a huge smile to his face.

“That right there was reason enough for me to stay.”

Gideon laughed and turned toward the door.

Hotch was quick to follow, but hearing a few noises from the trees he stopped dead.

“Hey Jason, there aren’t any vicious animals out here are there?”

“Not anymore than there are in the city.”

Reid like stats ran through his head about the percentage of criminals in populations, and of wild animal attacks. In his mind it all came down to bears and lots of blood. At seeing that Gideon had already disappeared in side, leaving him alone, Hotch quickly jumped into the cabin and closed the door a little too hard so that it slammed shut. At the sound Jason turned around to look at him with an odd smile.

“A little spooked Aaron?"

“No… no.” Hotch cleared his throat, looking fairly sheepishly, “Just don’t want to let the bugs in.”

He turned away from Gideon to disappear down the hall, wanting to leave the laughing gaze of the older profiler as fast as he could, giving the excuse that he was going to take a quick shower. As he sauntered toward the washroom however, Aaron slowed when he noticed a few pictures lining the wall. A younger Gideon with a woman and a small boy, obviously his ex and Steven, even a couple of the team together thanks to JJ who had gone crazy with a camera on the plane a few times.  But there were a number of them that caused Hotch’s brow to furrow. There was something different about them.

They were of Gideon and another man.

They were taken here, at the cabin, probably in the past year and in every single one Gideon had an arm or both wrapped possessively around the other. Both had smiles of pure contentment on their faces. Hotch wouldn’t let himself think too deeply about it. Gideon was his friend, and respectfully his personal life was his own, but a strange pang of jealousy coursed through him at the images. Hotch started on his way again, but he couldn’t help taking another look. There was something that bothered him about the shots.

“I don't believe it.” He said rather loudly.

He figured it out.

Aaron knew that smile

It was Reid.

Gideon had his arms around Reid.

Reid.

THE Dr. Spencer Reid.

The young profiler was barely recognizable with the wide smile, and the clothes far from his usually awkward style. In one he was wearing, what Hotch easily recognized as, one of Gideon’s sweaters.

He was frozen there with his mouth agape staring at the odd pair.

It was definitely something he hadn’t seen coming.

“Hey Hotch? Did you say something?” Gideon called poking his head around the corner.

Aaron turned his eyes to Gideon.

“That’s Reid.” Hotch poked at the picture.

“Yes.”

“Why is Reid in a picture? _Here_ with you?” Hotch was feeling ridiculously stupid, but he didn’t care. Even though he was sure he knew the answer already, he still had to ask.

“hmm…Well, we’ve come up here a few time in the past year. He really likes pictures.”

“Jason, you’re holding him like a jealous boyfriend.”

“Jealous definitely. ‘Boyfriend’?” Gideon laughed at the though, boyfriend really wasn’t the right word. “Well, ‘lover’ would be a better choice.”

Jason smiled at the look on Aaron’s face before he walked a way to get back to dinner, leaving the man standing there in the hall.

Staring at the spot that had just been occupied by his friend, Hotch’s mind was whirling.

He’d always thought of Gideon and Reid’s relationship to be a purely mentor student thing, but frankly, Hotch wasn’t really surprised now that he thought about it. Gideon was always touching Reid. While everyone gave their pats on the shoulder in a ‘good job’ sort of way, the man always flinched or tensed. Memories of seeing Reid and Gideon together flash by, and not once had the man flinched in any of them. What was really nagging on him was how this had come about without him or anyone knowing, and when the hell did Gideon start liking men?

Hotch managed to tear away from the photos and move on towards the shower. Maybe the steady stream of water would help sort out what ever was going on in his head before daring to ask Gideon any questions. 


End file.
